Darnielle began the new millennium with The Coroner's Gambit for Absolutely Kosher before signing to 4AD for the release of the surprisingly polished Tallahassee in 2002. We Shall All Be Healed followed in 2004, and one year later, Darnielle was back with The Sunset Tree. Remaining as prolific as ever, Darnielle turned away from the intensity of The Sunset Tree for a calmer, more reflective set of songs on 2006's Get Lonely. The accessible and assured Heretic Pride appeared in 2008. Next up was the Bible verse-inspired The Life of the World to Come, the group's sixth album for 4AD, in 2010. Switching to Merge Records in 2011, Darnielle released All Eternals Deck, which was recorded in four different studios in Brooklyn, Boston, North Carolina, and Florida with four different producers -- John Congleton, Scott Solter, Brandon Eggleston, and Morbid Angel guitarist and Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan -- helming various tracks. That year the band was also handpicked by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he was curating in Minehead, England, but they were ultimately unable to appear due to scheduling issues.
Pink and Blue
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
smelled like blood and smoke
And the crows discussed their future
in the branches of their Louisiana live oak
The limbs are strong and heavy
and its leaves are all aglow
And the branches brush the upper air
But the roots reach down to where the bad people go
True gold, nine days old
Nice new clothes on you
and an old cardboard produce box for a cradle
I mashed some bananas in a coffee cup
and I fed you there at the kitchen table
Crows outside complaining about the finer points of local politics
Strange wind all full of new smells
rust and fur and reception sticks
And what will I do with you, pink and blue
True gold, nine days old
The Mountain Goats's song Pink And Blue is a contemplation of new life and its implications, set against the backdrop of a changing world. The song opens with a vivid sensory image of a wind blowing in from Oklahoma that smells of blood and smoke, setting a tone of distress and uncertainty. The crows, which often symbolize death and the passage of time, are discussing their future in a Louisiana live oak, highlighting the contrast between the short lifespan of the crows and the durability of the tree. The strong and heavy limbs and glowing leaves of the tree suggest life and vitality, but the roots reaching down to where the bad people go suggest the darker side of existence.
The second verse shifts the focus to the singer's experience of caring for a newborn baby, with "pink and blue / True gold, nine days old" referring to the baby's precious newness. The contrast between the baby's innocence and the crows' discussion of local politics is striking, emphasizing the difference between the personal and the public sphere. The strange wind all full of new smells suggests change and the unknown, while "rust and fur and reception sticks" may represent decay, warmth, and technology. Ultimately, the question of "what will I do with you" becomes both personal and existential, asking how one can care for a new life in a world characterized by violence, injustice, and fragility.
Line by Line Meaning
Wind out of Oklahoma this morning
The air has come from Oklahoma and is moving forward.
smelled like blood and smoke
The scent in the air is a combination of blood and smoke.
And the crows discussed their future
Crows were talking about their future.
in the branches of their Louisiana live oak
Sitting on branches of a live oak tree in Louisiana.
The limbs are strong and heavy
The tree's limbs are sturdy and overbearing.
and its leaves are all aglow
All the leaves on the tree shine brightly.
And the branches brush the upper air
The tree's branches are touching the higher air.
But the roots reach down to where the bad people go
Although the tree seems strong, its roots are firmly planted in negative territory.
And will I do with you, pink and blue
The singer is questioning what he will do with the baby.
True gold, nine days old
The baby is precious gold and is nine days old.
Nice new clothes on you
The baby is wearing new clothing.
and an old cardboard produce box for a cradle
The baby's cradle is a worn-out produce box made of cardboard.
I mashed some bananas in a coffee cup
The singer used a coffee cup to mash bananas for the baby's food.
and I fed you there at the kitchen table
The baby was fed at the kitchen table.
Crows outside complaining about the finer points of local politics
Crows continue to talk about local politics from earlier.
Strange wind all full of new smells
There is a new smell carried by the strange wind.
rust and fur and reception sticks
Items in the air that can be smelled include rust, fur, and electronic reception sticks.
And what will I do with you, pink and blue
The singer is still wondering what to do with the baby.
True gold, nine days old
The baby's age and value are reiterated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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uns33n
As a kid from Oklahoma, adopted at nine days old and swaddled in a pink and blue blanket this hits different.
Christopher Scotts
Wind out of Oklahoma this morning
smelled like blood and smoke
And the crows discussed their future
in the branches of their Louisiana live oak
The limbs are strong and heavy
and its leaves are all aglow
And the branches brush the upper air
But the roots reach down to where the bad people go
And will I do with you, pink and blue
True gold, nine days old
Nice new clothes on you
and an old cardboard produce box for a cradle
I mashed some bananas in a coffee cup
and I fed you there at the kitchen table
Crows outside complaining about the finer points of local politics
Strange wind all full of new smells
rust and fur and reception sticks
And what will I do with you, pink and blue
True gold, nine days old
piemanpie2424
This song always makes me think of Sean Clements
Angry99Penguin
"It doesn't necessarily have to be words"